Pocket Queries for Dummies

[+WestbrooksByTheSea]

Okay, I give up now. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong...I get the query to run, check the preview to make sure that it actually turned up data, but I never get an email. After reading the helpful hints at the bottom of the page, I set up email accounts at gmail and my business mail host to see if it might just be my isp (comcast). No emails at any of them.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

[+kf4oox]

Did you check the day it is suppose to run on?

 

kf4oox - Paul

[+WestbrooksByTheSea]

I used the "run this query once and then delete". I tried it with the day selected, and since I didn't get an email I tried it without the day selected. Still no email.

[+the pooks]

Pocket queries can take a while before they run as they are run at low internet traffic time (which for GC is PST, so in South Africa I get mine about 2pm in the afternoon). Let it run everyday for a couple of days (not once only) and see if anything arrives at your mailbox.

 

Also if you do NOT use the "run once and delete" option, the query will stay on your list and it will show when it was last run - so you will know whether it has run or not.

Edited January 6, 2008 by the pooks

[+Markwell]

I used the "run this query once and then delete". I tried it with the day selected, and since I didn't get an email I tried it without the day selected. Still no email.

Unselecting the day will assure that it will never run...

 

Read here...

Why can't I get my Pocket Queries?

There are a couple of things to check.

1. Make sure your results are set to "Zip". Overzealous virus filters may kick out .gpx files, even though they cannot execute (they're just actually text files).
   
   
2. Did you select a day to run? Even if you tell the query "run once then delete" you HAVE to select a day of the week ("Monday") for the PQ to run.
   
3. Did you mistakenly click "Add to queue"? The "Add to Queue" button on the pocket query page is ONLY for getting a pocket query of all of YOUR finds.
   
4. Did the query generate yet? On the Pocket Query Page in the grid, if the query has generated in the last 24 hours, it will be bold with a date. If it hasn't generated yet, it may just be waiting its turn. See the note on "priorities" below.
   
5. Check your spam folder. With a subject line that looks automated and an attachment that is likely in the format of 999999.zip, some overzealous spam filters may place it there.
   

GC.com instituted a priority for when PQs would run. It is based on the last time the request has run. Queries that have NEVER run get first in line. Queries that ran a long time ago are next, and queries that ran just the previous day are last. If you desparately need them, the suggestion until they get a fix is to copy the query to a new one and let it run. You should get the results almost instantly.

 

And here... Comcast Email Issue, January 2, 2008

Edited January 6, 2008 by Markwell

[+WestbrooksByTheSea]

Thank you, one and all, for the helpful information. I finally got one to run this morning. Kind of a funny glitch in the website, I think...if you go straight to the pocket query page by typing in the url, it doesn't take require you to first complete the Agreement of Terms form before creating and submitting a query. But it doesn't run the query. When I instead used the link that Markwell provided, it took my right to the user agreement, I checked it, and voila my queries are running now.

 

Thank you Markwell for the comcast issue, too. I can't get my queries at comcast at the moment, but the gmail is working fine so I'm ready to resume "treasure hunting" with my 3 year old!

 

Happy Day!

[+WestbrooksByTheSea]

PS -- One more dummy question - where is the link to the Pocket Queries page from the Geocaching home page? I have never been able to find it, so I just did a Google search and then bookmarked the page.

[+egami]

PS -- One more dummy question - where is the link to the Pocket Queries page from the Geocaching home page? I have never been able to find it, so I just did a Google search and then bookmarked the page.

 

I always go to: geocaching main page > click on my username at the top(assuming I am logged in) then scroll down on the right hand side of the page is a link to manage my PQ's.

 

Or, My Account at left from the main page.

Edited January 8, 2008 by egami

[+WestbrooksByTheSea]

Merci!

[+hydnsek]

PS -- One more dummy question - where is the link to the Pocket Queries page from the Geocaching home page? I have never been able to find it, so I just did a Google search and then bookmarked the page.

 

I always go to: geocaching main page > click on my username at the top(assuming I am logged in) then scroll down on the right hand side of the page is a link to manage my PQ's.

 

Or, My Account at left from the main page.

Yes. Since PQs are a Premium Member feature, they aren't going to be on the home page. I use my Account page as my bookmarked GC main page. I can't remember the last time I actually visited the GC.com home p age.